Fluoride
by saketini
Summary: Dental assistant Alfred and private security company owner Ivan. Ivan wants his teeth cleaned and Alfred wants a date.
1. Chapter 1

It was just after 5pm and the waiting room smelled like it had recently been sanitized. Ivan looked up at the sound of voices. The woman who had signed him in had turned to hand something to another person just outside of view behind the dividing wall. With a click, a friendly blond face peeked through an open door past the receptionist's desk, eyes scanning the room.

"Mr. Braginski?"

Ivan nodded briefly in acknowledgement, collecting his overcoat and briefcase as he stood.

"Great! I'm Alfred, let's take you on back. There's a coat closet in the hall here for your things."

The dental assistant waved the tablet he had been handed in the direction of another door as they passed. He scrolled through his notes as Ivan put away his miscellaneous work paraphernalia.

"Let's see…just a regular cleaning and it looks like we need new x-rays for you, big guy, since these here are over a year old. Gosh darn, you're really tall, aren't you?"

He smiled up at Ivan, looking like the "after" picture for some Hollywood-sponsored teeth whitening program.

"Yes."

Ivan began to think that he should have brought sunglasses.

"Not very chatty are you?" he laughed and his hair bounced as he moved. "You should take advantage of your last words now before I get my fingers in your mouth."

Ivan reached up to tug his scarf over his blush before realizing he had left it in the closet with his coat. He cleared his throat instead.

Alfred took him to a room at the end of the hall and waved his tablet again, this time in the direction of a chair.

"So Dr. Bonnefoy and the hygienist will be back in here in a bit. I'm here to get you started while they finish up with the little old lady with the denture problem."

He sat down in a chair facing Ivan's, wheeling it closer so that they almost bumped knees. Alfred scrolled again through the images on the screen, the reflection of Ivan's charts splashed across his glasses and obscuring his eyes.

"You had a root canal and a crown put in last year?"

"Yes."

"Any problems with that?"

"No."

He laughed again and looked up. Ivan found himself noticing that his eyes were blue, picking up the bright shade from his scrubs. He wondered if the coordination was intentional.

"It says here that it was a result of 'blunt force trauma to the jaw' so I'm not going to scold you for your oral hygiene habits. At least not yet," he winked but looked back at the screen and bit his lower lip. "Actually it looks like there was a lot of blunt force trauma going on here. Do you play sports or something? We can fit you for a mouth guard."

"No, I work in an office now."

Alfred opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it and closed it again, choosing to look down and scroll instead. A blush had stained across his cheeks up to his ears. He turned to leave the tablet in the awaiting docking station and stood, mumbling instructions to himself as he went to wash his hands.

Ivan hadn't realized he had been enjoying the chattering until it abruptly ended. In the absence of his scarf, he tugged instead at his tie.

"You are new," Ivan said.

"What?"

"You weren't here last year. For the root canal."

"Oh!" he flashed a smiled over his shoulder. "No, I wasn't. I just recently moved up north to be closer to my dad and brother."

"I didn't like the root canal."

Alfred laughed at that.

"Most people don't so I'm glad you apparently work in an office now. Have a latex allergy by the way?"

"No."

He nodded and pulled on a pair of gloves with a tight snap. Ivan swallowed.

"Now tell me about your tooth brushing habits. Brush at least twice a day?"

"I do."

"How about flossing?"

The grin was back again, this time clearly in anticipation.

"I flossed."

"_Today_ you did," the grin cracked wider. "How about regularly?"

"I flossed," he repeated and looked at Alfred's hands.

"I'll take that as a no," he shook his finger teasingly with another wink. "Naughty."

"Your scolding is very mild."

This earned him a laugh and Ivan decided he liked the sound of it. It was an inviting laugh, the kind you heard across a room and that belonged to someone who wanted everyone to join in with them.

"I'll leave the harsh scolding for your significant other. They're the one kissing you, after all."

Ivan knew he was digging, asking without really asking.

_He's younger than you. At least five years, probably more. _

He looked up to catch Alfred's eyes.

"Then I suppose I won't be expecting any scolding later either."

"Then _I_ suppose I should up my game," he sat down to roll in close again as Ivan wondered if he was referring to the scolding or blatant flirting.

"I know you said it's fine but let me just peek at the crown right quick before the x-rays. Smile wide for me?"

Ivan complied and Alfred leaned in closer to press at his lips, sliding a finger against the indicated tooth.

"You have a nice accent by the way. And yes, I totally waited until I had your mouth hostage to say that."

He apparently meant the flirting then.

Alfred's blush had bloomed with a vengeance and Ivan felt himself smile. Running out of reasons to be touching him, Alfred pulled back, standing to toss the used gloves in a bin.

"You were right, it looks fine. But I'll leave some extra floss with the receptionist to take home with you," he plopped his hands on his hips and leaned in close. "If you're good, I'll give you the special bag with the matching Spider Man toothbrush."

Ivan laughed and made his promises. He was passed on to another employee after that, apparently the hygienist. The x-rays were taken and he caught another glimpse of Alfred as he moved to upload the new images into his file.

He tried not to notice the fit of the man's uniform along his hips and shoulders as he leaned over the computer screen.

The dentist himself came in after that as promised. His hair was tied back and he spoke with large hand motions, apologizing for his lateness. He tugged a mask over his face and clicked on the extra lights.

"I'm sorry for taking so long, the last patient needed a little extra attention. I know Alfred's a great help but he rambles when he's excited."

"It was fine. He's very friendly."

Ivan could tell the other was smiling even past his face mask because of the telltale crinkle at the corners of his eyes.

"His father is an old drinking friend of mine so I don't think I can give you Alfred's number," he paused and smiled, toying with the various picks and mirrors on the table beside him. "But I will tell you that he gets off at six and always stops by the Starbucks on the corner on his way home."

For the second time he regretted leaving his scarf in the closet, blushing to his ears as he discretely eyed the clock.


	2. Chapter 2

"Too soon," he had told the steering wheel. "Too soon, too early, too eager."

He didn't go to Starbucks that night. Ivan instead drove home, special bag of floss with matching Spider Man toothbrush tucked safely away in his briefcase. He left them there as a reminder. That evening he used normal floss on his freshly polished teeth and thought of Hollywood kisses, dreamt of twisting fingers through blond hair and tugging off glasses to reveal clear blue eyes and dusty rose cheeks.

_Too soon. _

He left the bag in his briefcase as he headed into his office early the following morning, pushing it further towards the bottom every time he reached inside to grab a file. The space his company occupied was clean and modern. Glass desks were accented by polished metal finishes and light wood trims. While they hadn't quite managed to work their way to the top levels of the skyscraper yet, they were close and Ivan was ambitious. His personal office was in the back, past the conference rooms and desks for IT and planning. It wasn't the largest, that he had given to his older sister for meetings with prospective customers, but it was his favorite. Ivan had chosen it for the view. The wall behind his desk comprised of floor to ceiling windows that tinted at the touch of a button and faced the rest of downtown. The city sparkled at night.

"Knock knock. I didn't see you this morning," he looked up to see his sister standing in the doorway, holding a pink mug of tea in both hands.

"I came in early, had breakfast at home."

She hummed lightly and nodded, tilting her head down towards her drink to hide the beginnings of a sly smile behind her short hair. Ivan recognized the look.

"You want to ask me a favor," he said.

"Maybe a little one."

_A big favor then._

"Katyusha."

"Vanya."

He sighed and looked at her over his computer screen. "Fine, tell me what it is."

"I know it's already quarter to eleven," she was still looking at her tea as she spoke. "But I have a prospective you might be interested in. The gala at the art gallery the weekend after next? Zwingli was hired for security but had to back out due to staffing issues."

"How did you find out?"

"A little birdy told me?"

"Gilbert told you."

"I also happened to run into the host, Ms. Bella? The sweet Belgian woman? I gave her my card this morning when she was behind me in line at the bakery for breakfast. I recognized her photo from the paper."

"And she said she was interested in a meeting?"

"That's the favor. A working lunch for today, if possible."

"_Today?"_

"Please don't be angry!"

Angry at the timing perhaps, or lack thereof, but he had been furious when Zwingli won the bid and wasn't about to let go of the contract. He tapped his finger against his desk, a clicking staccato.

"Where today?"

"Back at the bakery. The one downstairs at 12:00 sharp. Should we send Toris?"

"No, you and I should go. Grab the portfolios with the statistics from the west coast events. We'll bring those."

"Okay!" she turned to grab the items they would need before pausing and calling over her shoulder. "How was the dentist by the way?"

He looked down once more at his computer, jogging the mouse to reawaken it and using the screen to hide his blush.

"Fine, they told me to floss more."

Ivan grabbed at his scarf when she left, burying his face in it to sigh. He had come in shortly after six in the hopes of leaving early but that now seemed unlikely. Pulling back, he jogged his mouse to reawaken his idle computer. Research first, self pity later.

* * *

The meeting went well. Business cards were exchanged and Ivan and his sister spoke highly of their company's reputation in the private security business. Charts were flashed singing the praises of their records and licenses were produced to verify their legitimacy. The gala was to set for eleven days away, an after hours event for private donors and society friends. The deal was signed in a half hour and he told himself the paycheck would be worth the stress.

They sprinted back up to their office. Toris was sent out for an evaluation of the event space and to meet with the curator to discuss logistics. Their IT lead, Eduard, was assigned a meeting with the museum's existing security team to review camera locations and potential temporary enhancements. His sister was assigned to recruiting calls and coordination of the team. Ivan found himself locked in his office, flicking through incomplete guest lists to memorize names, a few of which he recognized. Given the size of the event and potential future contracts it could open, he had designated himself the onsite presence for the day of the gala.

Just shy of a twelve hour work day, he was standing in front of Starbucks, briefcase in hand.

"Big guy!"

He turned to face the shout from behind him, spying a familiar grin and blue scrubs.

"Alfred," he nodded. "Hello again."

"Hello yourself! It's great to see you again. Just finish work?"

"Yes."

"Chatty as ever!"

"Of course," he shifted the grip on his bag to hold the door open for them both.

While in line, he learned the age difference was seven years, 26 to his own 33. Alfred continued to fill the space between them with friendly small talk, excited about everything from the weather to the chocolate whipped cream. Ivan let his mind linger on the whipped cream and used the the noise around them as an excuse to lean in closer.

"Well," Alfred pinched the wrapper of his straw into an anxious crumple when their drinks were finally handed to them. "If you have the time, and I'm not being too pushy, wanna drink these together outside?"

His simple _yes _had Alfred lighting up in another one of his airbrushed looks of delight. Ivan realized he would have agreed to drinking pure mouthwash if it meant he could earn that smile more often.

Once they had situated themselves at a table, Alfred turned his excitement on Ivan. He asked him where he was originally from (Moscow), when he had moved (shortly after finishing university), and what he did for a living.

"Security. I own a private security company."

"No way! With the suit and the accent and everything—" he cut off with a laugh. "Oh my gosh, I thought you were like, a spy or something!"

"No, I'm sorry to disappoint," Ivan frowned and clasped his hands in front of him on the table.

Alfred's laughter had softened to giggles and he patted Ivan's hands in a pacifying manner.

"Nah, I think my brother would freak out if he thought I was hanging out with some ex-KGB dude. Besides, I told you I'm glad you work in an office now, remember? Your smile is too handsome to risk."

Ivan pulled back his hands to touch at his scarf.

"…It sounds like your brother and you are close."

"That's why I moved back up. I had started to miss his nagging."

"Older brother?"

"Three minutes younger actually. He's a kindergarten teacher at the French international school downtown. _Bonjour Mathieu!_ They invite me sometimes for extra help and to talk about toothbrushes."

He used his finger and his drink to pantomime brushing a model, flicking the condensation away at Ivan's face when he laughed.

"You mentioned him and your father both lived here."

"You're a good listener! He works downtown too, a stuffy old lawyer," he rolled his eyes but his expression was fond. "Do you have family here?"

"My parents are back home but I have a sister. She works with me."

"Is she a spy too?"

"I couldn't tell you if she was."

"Oh, I see how it is."

Ivan teased Alfred that his daily coffee habits couldn't be good for his teeth, making him blush and grin. They spent a while talking about their families and learning about each other. Eventually, however, the lateness of the day and the beginnings of a light summer rain had them cutting their conversation short.

"Did you park nearby?" Ivan asked.

"Oh, no, I actually walk."

"It's raining."

"I have an umbrella. Besides, free shower, right?" he was still wearing his perpetual smile as he collected his empty cup to dispose.

"I don't want to be…Well I can give you a ride. I park in the garage below my office around the corner."

"Really?" Alfred was biting at his lip, fussing with his straw as rain settled in his hair. "I don't want to make you go out of your way."

Ivan dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand, thinking of the bag still in his briefcase.

"You've done me a favor already. I'd like to do one for you as well."

"Well I can't say no to _that._"

* * *

Alfred seemed to be terrible with directions.

Street names were nonexistent. He flung his arms out with excited shouts when he recognized landmarks and Ivan was fairly certain they had passed the same McDonald's three times. But he found that he didn't really mind begin lost. Fingers brushed over the hand that he had left over the gearshift, tentative touches seeking permission until he twined their fingers in a gentle squeeze.

Alfred apparently liked his smile and the way his tongue held onto his _R_'s and _V_'s as he spoke.

He dropped him off in front of a cozy looking apartment building, decorated with overfilling flower boxes and residents running in from the rain.

Ivan stared at their hands.

"This Friday," he heard himself saying. "Would you be free for lunch?"

This time he was the one smiling over a simple _yes._


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, hello there," he heard his sister say from somewhere near the front desk.

Ivan peeked his head out of the office's kitchenette, where he was rinsing out his coffee mug, ducking frantically back inside to peer at his watch when he saw who she was addressing.

_He's early!_

"Um, hi, I hope I have the right office," he heard Alfred respond. "Ivan just texted me the floor number…Does he work here? I was supposed to meet him for a late lunch but I'm a little early."

"So you're the reason he's been looking at his cell phone all day!"

Ivan glared his embarrassment into the sink, listening to their happy laughter as they exchanged introductions.

"You explain why he isn't wearing a suit and tie for once either. He normally never participates in casual Friday! Let me take you to his office, if he's not there I'll find him."

He snapped a paper towel out of the dispenser, drying off his hands. Alfred had been texting him since their last meeting at the coffee shop. They were silly things he supposed, G_ood morning! _and _Don't work too hard!, _but he found himself looking forward to them nonetheless.

_Excited for lunch today?_

He had gotten up early so that he could panic about what to wear. First he had tried on a few of his suits: black, then navy, then the light gray that brought out the color in his hair. He had put on ties, removed ties, unbuttoned buttons and thrown the suits back into the closet after deciding they were all too formal. Suits pants and shirts without the jacket felt incomplete so those were tossed as well. Khakis just felt strange and bunched at his knees when sat down. Jeans, he had decided, were his best bet. Alfred probably liked jeans.

He had brushed his teeth twice before he left.

Ivan's stomach churned as he smoothed his scarf. He pretended he couldn't see his sister hurrying towards him and returned his attention to his cleaning.

"Vanya!"

"…hmm?"

Strange how no matter how much soap he used, the dark ring at the bottom of the mug remained. He would have to take it home and try running it through the dishwasher.

"So how was the dentist again?"

Or maybe he should stop making his coffee so strong. That would probably help fix the problem at the source. Or get a darker mug?

"Don't you ignore your big sister."

A finger was jabbed into his side and he twitched involuntarily, nearly dropping the piece of ceramic back into the sink. Yekaterina smiled and turned her body to block the doorway.

"I told the truth. He did tell me to floss more."

"He's sweet and he's in your office," she sighed making her short bangs flutter. "I'm here to worry about you though. You're sure it's not too soon since—"

"Four years, Katyusha?"

He dragged out the nickname and frowned, cutting her off. He tilted his face down into his scarf, depositing his mug in the drying rack.

"Only two officially."

"More than enough time."

Yakaterina leaned up onto her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. She smelled of tea and sugar cookies and her light floral perfume, familiar and very much a reminder of home.

"Tell me if you need me. You know Natalia will be here as soon as she can if you need her too."

"Of that I am very much aware," he gave her a quick one-armed hug around the shoulders before making his way back to his office.

Ivan kept his face buried in his scarf, trying to avoid catching any of his employees' eyes. He wished he had brought his mug with him so he would have an idea of what to do with his hands. Should he close the door or leave it open when he got there? His sister would notice if he closed the door. He should leave it open. Had everyone noticed the jeans? He wasn't even sure how he could greet him. Shaking his hand would be strange but that's how he greeted everyone. He wondered if it would be too forward to kiss him. Ivan was suddenly very much aware of how much he wanted a kiss.

Alfred was dressed casually in his own pair of jeans and bright red converses. A bag was slung over his shoulder as he looked out the window, taking in the view. He turned around with an excited expression when he heard Ivan enter the room.

"Sorry! The last patient cancelled so Francis let me leave early. I was going to get coffee but that would just make me go to the bathroom… So I came early."

He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the carpet nervously, shifting the bag to his other shoulder.

"It's fine," Ivan said.

_I'm happy to see you_, his mind admitted as walked towards him.

"I know, but you like times," Alfred shook his left hand, twisting it at the wrist as if shaking a watch.

"Times?"

"You're very exact. You look at your watch a lot."

Ivan could tell he was biting the inside of his cheek, attempting to hold in a laugh.

"Are you trying to scold me again?"

"Maybe," Alfred peeked a glance out the open doorway to the rest of the office before grabbing Ivan's hand and using it to tow himself in closer. "Am I dressed too casually though? You said 'casual' but I didn't know if that meant _my_ casual or _your_ casual which is probably a lot more formal than mine and I thought the converses might make me look like a college kid or something —"

"You look nice," Ivan pacified him with a squeeze of his hand.

Alfred smiled his smile that made Ivan's stomach twist and said "thank you" with aching sincerity.

"You picked out a fun place for lunch?"

"Yes, my sister mentioned a place last week and I looked at the menu. They apparently have sundaes. With homemade ice cream."

Alfred apparently thought homemade ice cream was awesome and Ivan no longer regretted the lost sleep from researching popular local restaurants and reading menus long into the night. He regretted not closing his office door, however, when he realized his entire company could be overhearing their exchange. They could also see him holding hands with a visibly younger blond man as he tugged him, red faced, past their desks to the elevators.

_Less than ten years but more than five. There's a rule about that, isn't there?_

"Bye, Kat!" Alfred waved happily as they left. Ivan felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards in a smile as he saw her return the gesture.

* * *

Alfred flipped to the back of the menu, eying the desserts before returning to the appetizers. He apparently had a habit of mouthing words he liked, allowing Ivan to trace _whiskey_ and _chocolate _on his lips as his gaze skittered through the menu.

"The appetizers look good. Do you like calamari?"

Ivan nodded without bothering to remember his thoughts on the dish and found himself agreeing when the option of sharing was suggested.

"Great!"

It_ was _great. A corner booth by a window with soft retro music and bright modern lights sparkling above their heads. It promised to be an afternoon with Alfred recounting his work week and gently teasing Ivan into the conversation.

The calamari was great too.

Alfred spoke with his hands as much as with his words. They wove excited tales through the space between them and caressed thoughtfully at whatever food or flatware he was holding as he listened to Ivan's responses. He had liked holding Alfred's hands. They were warm and firm and slightly pink from frequent washing at work. Ivan ground the heel of his shoe into the floor beneath their table to cut off thoughts of those fingers in his hair and on his skin.

Ivan still hadn't gotten his kiss.

"Have you always done security?"

"Yes," he covered his startled twitch by grabbing for his drink. "I did the same for another company in California before I moved here. I worked onsite at locations more often with the other company though. I have— I had reasons to leave."

"That blunt force trauma to the jaw?"

"That was one reason."

Alfred grinned and played with his french fries as Ivan asked him why he had chosen his own career path.

"I want to be a pediatric dentist. That's why I volunteer at Matty's school, it's fun practice being with the kids."

"Working with children seems to run in the family."

"It does, doesn't it? Don't know about my parents though, my dad adopted us."

"Oh, I didn't mean to… I apologize," he ground his heel further into the carpeting and took another drink.

"Nah, it's no big deal. We don't remember it. It comes up a lot because he wanted us to keep our original last name and people wonder why his is different."

He had moved his foot over to Ivan's side of the table, bumping lightly against the toe of his shoe.

"I forgot to say it earlier, but you look good in casual clothes. I like the jeans," Alfred smiled and winked.

The timing of their late lunch bled into an early dinner, and as the Friday night dinner crowd ordered their entrees they shared a sundae. Alfred made Ivan take the cherry. In return, Ivan suggested he order the whiskey he had been looking at earlier, declining one for himself as he would be driving. He agreed to the idea but turned nearly as red as the candied fruit in Ivan's mouth when he was carded by the waitress. Ivan only laughed and patted his hand as he sputtered, silently hoping that if he had ordered a drink she would have asked for his ID as well.

He flagged the waitress back down when Alfred left to use the restroom to avoid any potential awkward moments with the bill. Alfred met him by the door. The sugar and drink seemed to have made him more giggly as he let Ivan lead him back to the car. They took a more direct route this time as he had a better idea of where he was going and didn't need to rely on his passenger's arm waving. He found that he almost regretted not taking a few wrong turns however, when they reached the apartment far too soon for his liking.

While they had managed to avoid awkwardness around the bill, Alfred's exit wasn't nearly as smooth.

"Ah, um," the younger stuttered. "I had a lot of fun."

He was fussing with the car door handle and biting his lower lip pink, debating his next move. Ivan thought about walking him to the door.

_Then we kiss._

"You don't have to walk me to the door, I don't want to make you go out of your way."

_Shit._

Alfred smiled and squeezed his hand, opening the door to leave.

"I meant it though, I had fun. Can we do this again?"

"I'd like that."

That got a more excited _awesome_ than the homemade ice cream did so Ivan counted it as a victory. Alfred turned and waved a few times as he walked to the door. While he was fussing with his pockets, apparently looking for his keys, Ivan turned and noticed Alfred's bag was still lying on the back seat. Ivan grabbed it and ran to the door, feeling slightly ridiculous as he shouted the other's name to stop him from disappearing inside. He accepted the bag with a grateful but clearly embarrassed giggle.

"Oh, sorry about that! I would have felt really awful if you were stuck with my gross work clothes in the back of your car."

He clutched it to his chest before looking left and right. Apparently deciding they were alone, he leaned in for Ivan's kiss. It was soft and tentative at first before he realized Ivan wasn't about to push him away. Ivan heard the bag fall to the ground with a soft _poof_ and Alfred had twined his arms around his neck in a hug.

"I wanted to kiss you earlier in the car," Alfred whispered against his lips, "but I didn't want to lean over and stab myself in the stomach with the gear shift either."

Ivan laughed and kissed him, running his tongue along his lips to taste the words he had traced there earlier. He pulled up his hands to touch youthfully smooth checks and thumb softly at the warm skin. Whiskey bites and chocolate affection lingered in his mind as he pulled back for another happy goodbye.

_Can we do this again?_

* * *

...

_Thank you for the comments, and likes and kudos and oh my goodness, rusame fans are just the sweetest bunch! Thank you!_


	4. Chapter 4

"_Morning Sunshine!_"

Ivan's phone buzzed on the nightstand, alerting him to the arrival of Alfred's text. He snatched it off the table to pull it with him under the covers.

He liked that Alfred liked nicknames.

"_Good morning, Alfred."_

Squinting at the screen, he determined that he could spare a few more minutes among his pillows in the company of Alfred. His sheets and blankets were all a crisp white and still smelled faintly of fabric softener, a result of having been freshly laundered and replaced by his cleaning team. The timer on the coffee pot he had set up the night before beeped from the kitchen.

"_Fun plans today? I'm going to the movies with Matt and Kiku."_

Ivan frowned slightly. Kiku was not a name he was familiar with. He scrunched up his nose as he thought of the names that had sailed along Alfred's happy rambles. He began to type out _Who is Kiku? _before pausing and rethinking. Ivan didn't want to admit he might have forgotten one of Alfred's friends, nor did he want to come off as jealous.

Not that he was. Or that he was bothered by not knowing. Or wondering if there was a reason the other hadn't been brought up before.

He instead answered Alfred's question. His sister was anxious about the upcoming event they were working so the two of them had agreed to meet for lunch and work on their projects together.

_"Aww that's sweet of you! Tell Kat I said hi!"_

The curtains had been left open the night before to let in the morning sun. He burrowed deeper under the covers, flicking through his email. Alfred continued texting, telling Ivan about the loud Summer blockbuster that they were going to see. Kiku was apparently an old friend of the twins from high school and, very importantly, dating a young Greek woman who worked with him at an animal shelter downtown. Ivan gave in to the second warning beeps from his coffee pot and shuffled towards the kitchen.

His penthouse was decorated much like his office, well-polished and modern. He enjoyed the clean lines, preferring them to the gilded swirls that adorned his family's houses back home. Ivan felt more comfortable in their stability and efficiency. He was never one to underestimate stability.

After grabbing a cup, Ivan set about the rest of his morning routine. He was to meet his sister back at her favorite bakery and those were the only plans for his day. While standing in his closet he receiving a parting text from Alfred.

"_You should wear jeans!"_

Ivan smiled and complied.

* * *

The bakery was in the same building that housed their office, on the ground floor with a private door facing the main boulevard. It was a convenient location from both of their homes and served as a familiar-yet-neutral meeting place for the siblings. It was popular with the work crowd on weekdays and with young couples on weekends. Classical music was playing softly in the background, indicating that the older woman who owned the location had won out over her husband for the day's musical selection. He tended to prefer jazz singles. They ordered their usual, consisting of a basket of muffins with assorted jams and mimosas to drink. Tucked into their corner table, one of them had managed to smear blueberry jam on their notes.

Yekaterina insisted that it had been Ivan's doing. He blamed the plates for being too small.

"Do you have all the calls made?"

"Yes," she bobbed her head in a nod as her attempts to wipe away the mess only smudged it further. "We are going to have the team debriefing onsite after closing on Tuesday. You'll come?"

"I should. I'll be lead that night… and I know Eduard already confirmed the final camera installations are on time as well…."

"That's good to hear."

Yekaterina was wearing soft pastels and fit in with the decor. She had matched a conservative cardigan with a pretty floral sundress and heels. They contrasted well with her coy "favor asking" smile.

"If everything is fine, why did you want to meet?"

She covered her embarrassment at having been caught with a laugh.

"Maybe I just wanted to ask you how your date went? I knew work would be an easier way to get you to say 'yes' to meeting up."

"It was fine," he was addressing his upside down reflection in his spoon rather than watch her reaction.

"So was your dentist appointment," she reached out to poke his forehead. "Look at you picking up cute younger men. Did he check your teeth again?"

"Katyusha!_"_

She pulled back both of her hands to cover her face as she giggled.

_"_I know, I know. You like him. You wouldn't be so defensive if you didn't."

The notes were declared a lost cause and they spent time catching up on their personal lives. Ivan liked spending time with Yekaterina. She was a reminder of what he missed most from home. The perfume she always wore had been a gift from their mother as was her natural instinct to always make sure he was eating well. They ordered another pair of mimosas.

"I don't want to keep bringing it up…But you're sure it isn't too soon?"

He let out a sigh, familiar with what she was referencing. Ivan rubbed habitually at his jaw.

"It isn't about her."

"It wasn't ever specifically about her, just the idea of her and the amount of money we spent fixing that problem."

"It isn't too soon and it isn't about her or anything about California."

Yekaterina huffed out an irritated breath of her own, red-faced as her anger and natural protectiveness vied for attention. Ivan was willing to admit he felt a bit guilty for putting the expression on her face.

"Please don't be angry," she said as she began to tear her remaining muffin into pieces. "We're the only family we have over here and I want us to get along. It's lonely when you're angry."

She ended with a subdued sniff, announcing that the instinct to be protective had won out and she was near tears.

Ivan reached out to grab at her hands and squeeze.

"I know, I'm not angry with you."

"…Have you told him yet?"

"No? Why would he need to know?"

"Because you seem serious about him. He doesn't need to know but he'll want to know. What if he finds the articles?"

She pulled back her hands to pat at her face with her napkin.

"The charges were dismissed."

"Still, I don't want them to get the wrong idea of you."

"Of course not. You just think I should tell Alfred I was almost deported."

"Well don't tell him that way! Tell him the truth."

He watched her slowly extract cranberries from her pastry, crushing them into red bursts across the floral patterns on her plate. There wasn't going to be a response to her comment. Ivan patted at his pockets, making sure his car keys where where he left them, preparing to leave if the conversation was over.

"Natalia wants to visit," she offered.

He paused a beat, "sometime in September might be nice."

* * *

Ivan felt guilty and irritated. After unlocking the front door, he collapsed face down into his sofa. Grumbling in the safety of his own home, he was willing to admit that his sister was right. He had to also admit that he had no idea how to start the conversation. He wasn't even certain as to when it would be appropriate to bring up.

Neither of them had mentioned the concept of them exclusively dating. Ivan had assumed it was implied, but they had really only met twice outside of the appointment. He liked Alfred, found his smile endearing and enjoyed starting his days with his messages. He rubbed his face further into the cushions and felt a throw pillow fall onto his back.

_Bring things up too soon and I'll scare him away, bring them up too late and he'll think I was lying._

Ivan had convinced himself that the mistakes he had made were best left in the past. As far as he was concerned, they were resolved when the charges were dropped. It had all been embarrassing, but no one had really been harmed.

"They could have been worse," he said into the cushions. "Just immigration things. The tax issues were all made up."

Boring things really, personal matters that the tabloids had gotten a hold of and turned into something more because of who was involved. He hadn't known Alfred long, but thought he seemed reasonable enough. Ivan pulled out his phone and retyped his message four times before committing and hitting send.

"_I hope you liked your movie. Dinner sometime this week? I can make you something."_

They would have dinner at his place and Ivan could be vague. If Alfred reacted well, he could be more specific. If he reacted poorly, they could eat dinner and Ivan could smooth things over. His phone buzzed and lit up with the response.

"_Sure but one change."_

_"Change?"_

He fussed with his scarf, worrying that he might have assumed too much or come off as too forward. Maybe inviting him to his home sent the wrong idea?

_"You treated last time. We can have dinner at my place so I can treat you. Please?"_

Ivan paused to roll the idea around. The setting couldn't have that much of an impact and Alfred would likely be more comfortable in his own apartment.

_"I would like that."_

* * *

_This chapter was turning into a 6000 word rambling monster so I did some slicing and stitching and ended up with this instead. I hate it less?_


	5. Chapter 5

Ivan wasn't nervous until the day of their dinner. Promises of homemade pan fried chicken pulled him through the week until he found himself suddenly worrying about what he would say. On the promised Thursday night he found himself ready more than an hour early, having completed his now regular wardrobe deliberations with record speed. Checking his emails proved to be too little stimulation and anything actually work-related he was too distracted to complete.

He decided to call his sister Natalia to ask how her ballet classes were going. She tolerated the questions for a while before sensing his unease, and changed the topic so she could amuse him with random facts until he was once again smiling. They agreed to push the trip back to October because the events around Halloween were closer to her interests. He ended the call feeling much more like himself.

After being unable to decide if Alfred seemed more likely to drink beer or wine, he grabbed a bottle of vodka from his cabinet and left early. It turned out to be the right choice when Alfred greeted him at the door with an enthusiastic kiss. He led Ivan through the building hall before fussing with the keys to his front door.

"I'm expecting a call from my brother later by the way, he's picking up our fancy clothes. We're going to this thing with my dad this weekend."

"That's fine."

"And you're early so everything's not ready yet but you can hang out with me in the kitchen while I finish up."

Ivan murmured his agreements and put the bottle in the indicated cooler. Alfred chattered about his family recipe for buttermilk biscuits while Ivan eyed the clutter in the room. It was the closest one could come to an organized explosion and seemed to match the rest of the home. Blue check rugs under the sink and in front of the stove clashed bizarrely with curtains dotted with sunflowers. The pots and pans were no better, a cast iron skillet from _our old neighbor's Great Aunt Beth,_ _why was she throwing it away? _nestled beside a wok from an old roommate. Notes covered the refrigerator and nearby cabinets in cheerful neon reminders. It was all very Alfred.

The younger's phone rang and he placed the splatter guard over the pan with the chicken.

"Hola, Matty!"

He mouthed _just a sec_ over his shoulder before disappearing into the living room. Ivan shuffled and fussed with his scarf, trying to think of how to broach the topic he had wanted to discuss.

Ivan had left Russia to help develop the small American branch of his family's company in California in 2004. He was the middle child and had felt uncomfortable at home, envying his older sisters's closeness to their mother and younger sisters's closeness to their father. Their mother had left when he was ten with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. She had apparently recognized that her own family's sudden ownership of oilfields was a more reliable source of income than her husband's venture in private security.

Yakaterina had left with their mother during the split. He saw them fairly regularly at parties for the newly wealthy in downtown Moscow, sneaking off with her and Natalia to catch up under table-clothed buffets. They had taken turns poking at the shined shoes that waltzed past their hiding place.

Their father had lost nearly everything in 1998 with the inflation crisis, needing to rebuild and losing all but his most loyal or desperate employees. Ivan had wanted to assist but was sent to university instead, insurance for his future. His father had reunited with his mother for her political connections and was able to rebuild and expand his once local security company to an international program preferred by oligarchs. Ivan was happy to spend time with his sisters when home for holidays. Feeling largely isolated and unconnected to the local members of the company he was supposedly to inherit, however, he volunteered to head the new branch in Los Angeles catering to the Hollywood elite.

Things hadn't gone well.

"Ugh," Alfred returned with an irritated groan. "I have to wear a tux."

He grabbed his various cooking utensils to start plating chicken, biscuits and greens.

"I have iced tea but you should bring the vodka too. Living room?"

Ivan followed him to the sofa, dismissing apologies for not having a formal dining table with a wave of his hand.

"Eating in front of the TV seems very you."

That earned him an affectionate pinch in the arm. They settled in to watch a movie, Alfred scooting closer with every chance he could until he was using Ivan's side as a pillow. They ignored the film as they exchanged stories of their week at work interspersed with childhood anecdotes. Their plates emptied and pushed to the side, Ivan cleared his throat to speak.

"Ah…I wanted to ask about dating with us…"

"We're exclusive, right? Like boyfriends? I just assumed —"

"Yes! That's…what I was asking."

_Tell him or he'll be unhappy later. You're not getting a better chance than this._

"It's just, my sisters are rather protective because my last relationship ended…poorly."

"Oh it's fine! We've all had a few bad breakups. Besides, Matt and Kiku look out for me too. I like that your family and you are so close."

"Yes, we are…"

Ivan stared at the top of Alfred's head. Maybe Alfred really wouldn't mind? He would tell him eventually, of course, but it was nothing too serious. It was all fixed, all resolved. Expensive, he frowned, but fixed. Besides, Alfred had just said everyone had a few bad relationships in their past. His hadn't even been romantic, just a business partnership gone wrong. Alfred was touching the ends of his scarf to angle the embroidery into the light and his chest felt suddenly fluttery.

He pulled him closer, hands at Alfred's neck to tilt his mouth up to his own. A surprised _Oh! _was exhaled over his lips before Alfred scrambled into his lap to kiss him deeply in return. Figuring he could use the excuse of helping the other keep his balance if he needed one, Ivan slid one of his hands from his throat down and back into the waistband of his pants to cup the rounded flesh. He gripped firmly and used the leverage to press them flush together, groaning as he felt Alfred grind against his cock. Alfred had moved his own hands into Ivan's hair, twisting down to massage into the base of his skull.

Ivan ran his tongue along Alfred's lower lip before biting into the warm skin. He felt the hands on his neck dig in from surprise and the thighs around his hips tightened their grip. Using the hand still near Alfred's face, he thumbed gently at the spur of bone behind his jaw and pressed up to the sensitive skin beneath his ear. Alfred slanted their mouths together at a better angle to deepen the kiss. Ivan ran his tongue along his lips until he opened his mouth, granting him access to his own tongue and teeth. Alfred abruptly pulled back, dragging his hands down the front of Ivan's shirt.

"I have to tell you something," Alfred was doing his finger pinching, crumpling Ivan's shirt in a way that Ivan knew meant he was embarrassed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes! It's just…I recognized you. I knew you before the appointment. At work. When we met."

"You did?" Ivan blinked in confusion and suddenly felt very nervous.

The next bit came out in a jittery flood.

"Kiku, my friend? He likes the melon bread at the bakery in your office building. I go with him sometimes and saw you with your sister. I thought," he paused to resume his tugging. "I thought you looked really cool and adult and stuff and saw your name in the building directory. I knew it was you because I had heard your sister use your first name when she was talking business with you. So when I saw it in the schedule books…I got really excited."

Ivan stared again at the top of Alfred's head, the other having ducked down to look at the now very fascinating sofa.

"…the blue scrubs were intentional then?"

Alfred twitched up, a surprised smile on his face.

"Well, a guy has to know his strong points right?"

"Blue eyes and slightly disturbing spying skills?"

"Hey, you're the spy here, big guy."

Alfred nodded to himself, apparently coming to some sort of decision. He smoothed his hands down Ivan's chest to fix his shirt before resting at the buckle of Ivan's pants. Alfred looked up at him, a coy smile betrayed by a nervous flush.

"Too much?"

"Ny— no, it's…"

Alfred only seemed emboldened by his slip-up. He pressed a silencing finger to Ivan's mouth before pulling back to tug more confidently at his pants.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty good at this."

He winked brightly and slid to the floor, pulling off Ivan's clothing as he went. With a nudge he pushed his legs apart to sit between them. Warm fingers reached out to caress at his now very aroused cock, trailing from base to tip and thumbing at the head. Ivan tried to swallow only to find his throat too dry. Looking to find a use for his idle hands he reached forward to remove Alfred's glasses, an action rewarded by his favorite smile. He noticed the younger's lips were already bitten full from their kissing and his breathing quickened.

A gentle kiss was placed on the inside of his thigh while anticipation and a hint of lingering shock danced wildly in his stomach. Alfred knelt forward on his knees, pulling back a hand to hold onto Ivan's leg while the other was used to grip his cock more firmly. He looked up from beneath his lashes to catch Ivan's eyes as he leaned in to touch his tongue to the slit. Ivan's breath caught in his throat as his nerves jolted. Lips pressed in for another kiss to be placed at the head before they feathered hot and lovely down his length and across his stomach. A sharp bite to the jut of his hip made him gasp in surprise. Alfred giggled happily and pressed his lips against the skin in apology.

He kissed his way back, pressing his tongue to the underside to trail along the vein and slide back to the head. The hand that he had rested on his leg was removed to touch and tug at his balls in a massage. Ivan could hear his own pulse in his ears as arousal twisted up his spine to burn in his lungs. His fingers were tingling as he dug them into the cushions beneath him, desperate to touch but too afraid of breaking the moment.

Alfred's tongue was again playing at his slit, spreading precum around the head with long licks. Ivan watched his lips glisten as they smeared through the slick mess. The other then pulled back slightly, breathing cool breaths onto his feverish skin before leaning forward to take the head of his cock into his mouth. Alfred loosened his grip with the hand that had been holding him in place to slide his palm along his length.

Alfred sucked gently and Ivan watched his eyelashes flutter as he removed his hand to push further with his mouth. Ivan groaned out in need for more friction, more warmth, more Alfred. He felt the boy's happy hum in acknowledgment shoot through his nerves and felt like he had touched fire. Closing his eyes he dug his nails in deeper, keeping himself from thrusting into his mouth.

He was tingling, melting into the other's touch. Hot tongue and warm wet moans into his skin made him twist with want.

_Stupid, awful, wonderful—_

Ivan couldn't think of a word in English to describe the noises Alfred was making — moaning, gasping and whispering his name into sinfully lovely caresses.

_Noisy, loud, lewd— _

He looked down to see that Alfred had rocked up onto his knees, spread and wanton and stroking his own arousal as he moaned around Ivan's cock. His lips were red and swollen to compliment bright blue eyes that once again looked up to meet Ivan's own, pulling back to whisper a question.

"Naughty?"

That was the word, rasped tightly from his throat and pulling back the memory of the first time Alfred had said it. A flirting scold asking for attention in a cool office. He gave in to the need to touch him. Ivan leaned forward, combing his hands through Alfred's bangs to scrape them off his face. He brushed fingers along his cheeks to touch the pretty blush that had settled there.

"Yes."

Alfred laughed and turned to place a kiss in his palm before returning to his task. He opened his mouth to slide a final lick along the cockhead that made Ivan shiver and struggle to not simply spill over his lips. The mental image only made restraint more difficult. Pressing in slowly, Alfred massaged the underside of his cock with his tongue while the hand he had on Ivan resumed its stroking.

Ivan was biting his own lip to keep his own exhalations quiet enough to listen to Alfred. He watched the other swallow, loosen himself to push in further until Ivan felt himself press against the back of his throat. A pause and he had twisted himself taunt, expecting the other to pull back to gasp and choke. However, Alfred only swallowed more firmly and pushed in with a moan that had Ivan shuddering and tugging at his hair as it vibrate up his length.

"Fuck," he heard himself say when he felt Alfred's nose brush against the soft skin of his stomach.

Alfred was hot fingers and slick lips, bobbing along the length of his cock to take him in fully. Ivan felt himself lose control and thrust firmly into his mouth. The other was relaxed, moving and swallowing around him with muffled consent. Fingers were touching him everywhere lips couldn't reach.

A final jerk had him reaching his orgasm in Alfred's mouth. Ivan watched him swallow, watched his lashes flutter and cheeks redden. He ran his fingers through Alfred's hair. The younger sucked until he was sure Ivan was spent before rocking back on his heels with final lewd _pop. _ Ivan watched his tongue peek out to collect the white that had spilled past his lips and groaned.

"That good?"

Ivan grabbed his arms, tugging him back onto the couch and into his lap.

"I suppose."

He leaned forward to catch the satisfied turn of his lips with his own, tasting salt on Alfred's skin. Ivan kissed across his cheek to bite at his ear and enjoy the gasp the movement elicited. He found Alfred's hand on his own still hardened cock. Threading their fingers together, he helped him stroke. He whispered nonsensical endearments in Russian into his skin as he watched him twist and sigh with the slide of his fingers. Alfred came with a sudden twitch and gasp of his name. He caught him as he fell forward into his arms, a happy laugh buried in his chest.

They lay like that for a while, neither quite ready for the embarrassment that eye contact would bring. Alfred gave in first. He gave Ivan a quick kiss on the nose before pulling back to adjust his clothes and grab the dishes they had discarded. Ivan made his way to the bathroom, cleaning off and redressing. He found Alfred still in the kitchen, smiling faintly as he scrubbed pans.

"Ah, I can help."

Alfred initially refused out of politeness but accepted when Ivan persisted. A drying cloth was procured and tucked into his hands. Alfred was humming softly as he handed the taller man dishes to dry and set in the rack. It was comforting in a simple domestic way. Ivan realized he was smiling too.

Using the need to go to work the next day as an excuse, Ivan left after ensuring everything was cleaned and tidied away. A final kiss at the door carried his pleasant mood home where he tumbled pet names through his dreams.

* * *

_If you didn't think I was going to use a dental AU as an excuse to enjoy my oral fixation you were sorely mistaken._

_Anyways, angst coming up. Hell yeah._


	6. Chapter 6

Солнышко моё (Sol-nyshka moyo): My sun.

Да, я буду там через минуту (Da, ya budu tam cherez minutu): Yes, I will be there in a minute. (I think. I'm trying to teach myself Russian and I'm not a very good teacher, haha. If anyone has a correction I definitely wouldn't be offended to hear it!)

* * *

For a gala, the music could have been better, Ivan thought. The museum directors had gone with a "modern classical" group for the live music. The electric violins interfered with his earpiece, shrieking when he got too close. His left eye had started twitching halfway through their rehearsal.

All in all, the rest of the decor was rather fitting. The standard lights had been dimmed in the main hall as low hanging chandeliers were installed to sparkle amongst the statues. Portraits received spotlights and landscapes were bestowed with a gentle glow. He found it all very tasteful. The event that he had been contracted for was smaller than originally feared. Just under 200 guests (Ivan knew, he had memorized the lists) wove from room to room as they admired art and made bland small talk.

He also knew the small talk, microphones had been dotted throughout the space at random intervals that could be turned on and off by Eduard at a signal. The assumption was that those and the upgraded cameras could help alert them to any who might cause a threat to the event or the art.

Eduard had set himself up in their control room with a platter of hors d'oeuvres and was now watching the screens. Bella, their host and client, had also given them a box of homemade chocolates as early thanks for their work on the event. As their other employees watched the exits and various valets, Ivan and Yekaterina were dressed in their best and mingling discretely with the crowd. They found white tie events increasingly rare on their agenda ever since they had moved to the States. He knew his sister was enjoying the opportunity to wear her favorite black gown.

_"Things going well over there?" _Yekaterina's voice sang over his earpiece from another room.

_"I don't care for the violinist."_

_"Play nice."_

His microphone had been hidden in his scarf, his sister's in her pearls. Ivan was proud of her and their team. It had all come off, so far, without a hitch. He turned his face down to hide a sudden smile, pretending to adjust his waistcoat. It was always satisfying when hard work paid off.

_I will text my Alfred when I get home. Maybe we can make plans for next week?_

Thinking of kisses, he gave up on hiding his smile and made his way to the main gallery. The chandeliers had been decorated to look like twining vines with blooming flowers and he found that he enjoyed admiring them.

"Ivan?" an older and familiar voice said behind him.

"Mr. Kirkland," he turned to shake the other man's hand. "I recognized your name on the guest list."

"Arthur is fine, you're hardly my client anymore," he looked pleased and slightly flushed, a champagne flute in his hand. "You're here on assignment?"

"Yes, my company is working security for the event."

The other man's hair was in its usual blond disarray in contrast to his well-pressed evening dress.

"Sounds like you're doing well then. I'm glad."

"Thank you. And you as well?"

"I suppose," the small crooked smile touched at the corner of his lips that Ivan recognized from their brief time working together. He had clearly had more than a few glasses of champagne as he was looser with words than was typical. "I'm here as an invited guest but I brought my boys and they're hardly behaving like the gentlemen I raised them to be."

"Surely they're just excited," Ivan scanned the crowd, looking at the children milling around for who Arthur might be describing. He expected characteristic green eyes and dark brows. "I hadn't realized you had children."

"Adopted," Ivan's former attorney waved his hand to dismiss the anticipated apology, no offense made. "My Alfred is the troublemaker and he drags a supposedly unwilling Mathew into the mess. You should watch out for them if you're running security. Blond twins with a penchant for pranks."

Ivan blinked and felt himself running though escape options as he spun an old conversation back in his mind.

_"My dad adopted us…We don't remember it. It comes up a lot because he wanted us to keep our original last name and people wonder why his is different."_

He touched at the radio in his ear, pretending to have received a call.

"Да, я буду там через минуту," he turned once more to Arthur. "My apologies, it seems my team needs my assistance. It has been good to see you."

"No problem at all, and likewise."

Arthur waved his glass in a parting gesture before turning back to the crowd. Ivan felt his palms sweating, recognizing the flamboyant Dr. Bonnefoy by the servers with two new drinks in his hands.

He hissed a quick "cover for me" into his microphone before ripping it off and disconnecting the earpiece. As quickly as he could without looking suspicious, he made his way to the back room to avoid running into another familiar blond with an endearing cowlick.

Ivan glared at Eduard until the other loudly announced he needed to use the restroom. He didn't bother locking the door, knowing the other wouldn't return. He moved to collapse into the emptied chair. "Sir Arthur Kirkland, plus two," now seemed painfully obvious.

He spun around to look at the screens, panning back to the room where he had left Arthur and switching on the room's microphones.

_"And I thought a tux would have been bad, I can't breath in this thing."_

_"Because you ate four lobster rolls."_

_"Matty!"_

Alfred was dodging as his brother pretended to try to pinch his sides. He saw as Arthur waved his arms at them both, attempting to quiet them down but only making more of a fuss. Francis stood to the side and laughed happily at the family. He was clearly a longtime friend of Arthur and Ivan remembered his comments about them drinking together.

Arthur turned to the Frenchman with a grin that said "I know something you don't know."

_"You're insufferable. What is it this time, mon cher?"_

_"You always gloat when you know someone at events. This time I know someone as well!"_

A painful clawing feeling had begun in his throat and he removed his scarf to clutch it in his lap.

_"Who?" _Alfred had joined in. _"You never leave work, old man."_

_"Just because I know him from work doesn't make him any less of an acquaintance."_

Arthur let little details slip. Vague enough to preserve the privacy of his client, and honestly all very positive considering the circumstances, but unfortunately Alfred knew enough to string together the words.

It was a strange opportunity. He couldn't create a scene, not in front of his clients, but he could sit in that dark room and watch Alfred's fingers crumple around the cocktail napkin in his hand. His nervous pinching crumple. Arthur was waving a newly empty glass as he spoke, his words lost as he was too far from the microphones. Alfred pulled back from the group with his phone in hand and smile frozen in place. He knew that Alfred wouldn't immediately call him and so Ivan watched him pull up the browser and begin to search. Tabloid photos flicked across the cellphone screen, an expensive mistake in a white dress standing next to Ivan in every photo.

_"No, it will be great,"_ she had said. _"You have the business connections that I want and know almost everyone on the A-list. And I can help you with the visa issues simply because of where I was born! No one has to know we don't really mean it."_

Neither of his parents had spoken to him since the tabloids had found out how little they meant it.

Alfred left the others behind with the same excuse Eduard had used. He watched him find his sister and heard her happily tell him where Ivan was hiding.

_"We didn't know you'd be here! Vanya will be happy to see you."_

The clawing in his throat turned to a full burn. He desperately, simultaneously needed and didn't need a drink. Ivan quickly powered down the equipment when he heard the door clicking open behind him.

"I know you heard us."

Ivan nodded and turned to stand. His scarf fell to the floor but he didn't try to grab it, focusing instead on the angry flush across the younger man's cheeks.

"My dad's a divorce attorney."

Солнышко моё, he had decided last night. My sun. A play on Alfred's insistence on calling him sunshine and reflection of his smile. He had wanted to ask Alfred why he called him sunshine. Something about a song?

"He's a little drunk. Admitted one of his former clients was running the security for the event. He was pretty excited, happy for you, said your case was a hard one and he had to consult with his brothers. That would be pretty vague if I didn't know them and I didn't know you."

Arthur, then Mr. Kirkland to Ivan, had admitted he didn't often work with his family but and said they were the best at what they did.

_"Yours is a difficult case, with the government getting involved. I'm worried about asset seizures," _he had said, delicately skirting the looming issues.

"Fraud, Ivan? I'm not always great at catching on to subtle things, but that's not so subtle."

Ivan realized he had expected him to yell, drag him into the crowd to make everyone see him humiliated and upset. Instead he spoke in a deliberate monotone, slicing out any potential affection that might have been heard. His endearing fidgeting was gone except for his pinching. His ever nervous crumpling, as Ivan crumpled with him.

"Were you going to give me an idea of what was going on? You obviously didn't feel the need to tell me before I invited you to my house. Definitely didn't feel the need to tell me before you— In my house, Ivan! Did you know who I was?"

"No, Alfred I—"

"I'm not touching that fraud shit with a ten foot pole, but I have better things to do than be an old divorced guy's rebound."

Alfred took a step back when Ivan reached out his hands, a pleading gesture.

"Don't call me. Don't text me."

He marched out of the room without an actual goodbye, leaving Ivan alone with the dark computers and dirty scarf. Ivan rubbed his eyes, desperately wanting to leave but knowing he couldn't without risking his company's reputation. He sent a text to his sister asking her to meet him in the back and covered his face with his hands.

_Too soon._

* * *

I need to get them back together so I can write more kisses.


End file.
